The Latest Breaking News from James Callaghan

Obituary: The charismatic former deputy prime minister, who has died at the age of 86, was known best for punching a member of the electorate and acting as a vital bridge for Tony Blair to reach the unions

Economic journalist and broadcaster labelled ‘the cleverest young man in England’

The new government has promised things will be different: but when it comes to spending, we seem stuck on old Tory policies

What our politics and government need is a restoration of continuity and stability – not a premature resignation, says Guardian columnist Martin Kettle

Few suspected at the time that the 1979 election was also a 1979 moment. Sure, the gravediggers were on strike and James Callaghan spoke of a "sea-change in politics" about which there was little anyone could do. But the Conservative manifesto of that year was far from unadulterated Thatcherism. Not…

Falling inflation and tax cuts in a February budget would signal a spring poll but weak growth and rising mortgage bills bode caution

On May 4, 1979, Margaret Thatcher became the first female prime minister of the UK.

Peter Bone’s suspension is likely to mean another lost Tory seat and a delay to the election we need sooner rather than later, writes Guardian columnist Martin Kettle

With inflation and mortgage rates painfully high, the government can no longer rely on votes from its blue wall, says Guardian columnist Jonathan Freedland